Rep. Joel Briscoe: Make a relationship with your legislator

On Feb. 7, 2013, HEAL Utah, the Utah chapter of the Sierra Club and Utah Rivers Council held Green Lobby Night: A Citizen Advocate Training. About 50 people packed into room 130 in the State Capitol building.

Rep. Joel Briscoe led a discussion about involvement in politics and how best to influence legislators.

“The most effective lobbyists are the ones who come back and come back and come back,” says Briscoe, minority caucus manager.

Briscoe used the “How to Lobby Your Legislator” information put out by the League of Women Voters as the basis for his suggestions. Know yourself, know your representative and know your topic.

“You want to make a relationship with your legislator,” says Briscoe. This may include coming in to watch the legislator work when he or she is in committee. People can learn about each other through body language and facial expressions.

In order to lobby, it is important to know who your legislators are. The information can be found on the Utah government web site.

“Most of the lobbying I get is emails. It’s very efficient,” says Briscoe. Keep the emails short and state up front if you are a constituent. Do not send form letters unless you include a personal note.

“I really want to see you up on the hill,” says Briscoe, “and I want to see you communicating with your legislator.”